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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26022547">Tanked</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacesprinceking/pseuds/spacesprinceking'>spacesprinceking</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Capture, Fantasy, Gay, M/M, Mpreg, Mystery, bitterwseet, dark themes, merman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:27:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>22,516</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26022547</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacesprinceking/pseuds/spacesprinceking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Soooooooooooooooooooooooo I got bored and I decided to write this...</p><p>also Trigger warning<br/>rape and abuse</p><p>Long story short, several merpeople are captured and put in an aquarium. This story follows a mer prince and his servant as they learn to adjust and come to understandings with each other in this less than ideal situation.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>OC/OC, male oc/male oc</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A/N</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SO! Ya'll still reading? Wooow. Impressive.</p><p>Long story short: feel free to say hi if you are going to read this story and I hope you enjoy it!</p><p>You guys can also check out my other stories! Just a hoppity on over to my profile and go from there X33 also check out the in-progress stories by CastleDragonPrinces, the account i share with my buddy. Finally! Thanks to several anon online friends that helped motivate me to write this story. Your names will not be posted but you know who you are</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Have you ever heard of the Beast of Pirate's Bay? It's a song by a human named Voltaire. It's a fun song but ends with the sad truth that the so-called beast he spreads rumors about was just a harpooned and beached whale.</p><p>Perhaps you've heard of mermaids or sirens though? I've heard your debates on those. Some of you say that a mermaid is a peaceful water spirit born from the soul of someone who dies happy or peacefully near the sea, and you would also say a siren is the vengeful water spirit born from the soul of someone who was lost to an ocean storm or somehow drowned. Yet thanks to old lore and the movie series Pirates of the Caribbean, most of you probably think mermaids are evil, human hunting monsters in the ocean. Still some of you hang onto the idea that we're a beautiful race full of princes and princesses and that one of us will meet you in the sea one day and things like that.</p><p>Well this mermaid tale has a prince for you and... I suppose the truths will also be sad.</p><p>As sad as they do turn out to be, I think I was happy in the end.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Aquarium</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In some form or another, parents always seem to tell their children a story or two. The story mine used to tell me, only dutifully and never with love, comes to mind now. They told me things like not to grab anything that seems suspended in time, or not to get too close to the surface if a machine from above was near or in the waters. They told me those things were humans, trying to trap us so they could keep us as pets and slaves and make us their living entertainment. It was common sense to stay away from ships and fishing lines, unless you intended to get caught or hit. But I never really believed the part about the cruelty of the humans. I was wrong to think so naively.</p><p>They only got four of us and I happened to be one of those unfortunate four. Allow me to explain.</p><p>I was born into a technically royal family. My family was actually a proud heritage of royal servants; my bloodline bound me to the service of the court. There was no escaping my destiny to be the servant of the royal family. I, in accordance with what everyone else would say, was honored to be allowed to directly serve the prince.</p><p>Prince Synris is my master and I am his ever-loyal servant. Only death would allow me to escape that fate. So, I have been in the service of the prince since I was six. We've pretty much grown up together, him and I, and I would go as far as to say that we're best friends-err as close to that as we could be in our positions. We did get along, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.</p><p>Well the king decided that Synris, and by extension I too, had to attend the Oceans' meeting. There were two kingdoms, East and West, and every thirteen moon cycles the kings had a meeting.</p><p>All in all, it was a boring event. I preferred it to swimming through another dizzying event that Synris was notorious for hosting when his father left though... Synris didn't even try to hide how bored he was and kept making faces at Salo.</p><p>Halfway through, right as the king of the Atlantic was about to say something about the trading system; these terrifying, thick shelled fish with equally strange fins came from nowhere.</p><p>We scattered, all of us panicked by the intrusion of these things. I followed Synris, out of loyalty or instinct I still don't know.</p><p>For some, unimaginable and likely stupid tail reason, Synris stopped. I tried to push and pull him, screaming at him to move!</p><p>But he wouldn't. He had to watch them.</p><p>And then one came up behind us... and you can guess what happened.</p><p>They turned out to be containers, the things that chased us. They were metal machines the humans rode inside and controlled. They captured me, Prince Synris, Princess Zephic, and her servant Lady Salo.</p><p>The events here get...fuzzy. I was unconscious for most of it, I think. It's... hard to explain. Even if I could recall clearly, I don't think I would have the words.</p><p>There were a lot of garbled noises that didn't make sense and a lot of jostling and I remember being scared. Thrashing and then everything got really blurry and dark.</p><p>When things got clear again, I knew I wasn't in the ocean. I thought I was alone in the space I awoke. There weren't any other fish, just stalks of kelp growing up from the sand. I started to swim around, dizzy still. I found Synris and he didn't understand either. He had only pieced together that we were in a big, partially clear cage.</p><p>We swam around together then. There wasn't a whole lot in the cage with us. Just shells in the sand and kelp. When I went to the top, hoping for fresh air, I found a wide metal bar above. Humans were on it. One saw us and pointed, both smiled. They were talking about something and I couldn't understand and didn't care so I dove back down to get away.</p><p>I went back to Synris then. He was at the clear wall of the cage and looking out at something. I looked to see what it was.</p><p>This side showed a colored space large enough to fit dozens or more in it. Across the empty space was another clear cage. Inside that one, looking back at us, was Princess Zephic and Lady Salo.</p><p>We all looked at each other for some time before they swam away and out of view. It was another moment before Synris pulled me away.</p><p>I found a place to rest. Synris swam around on his own for a while.</p><p>One side of the cage was clear, the others were decorated to look like rock but were clearly fake. Truthfully, it was more like a neat and bright cave with the top and one side missing.</p><p>Synris came and rejoined me finally. We sat in silence for what felt like a long time before he finally spoke.</p><p>"In hindsight, I suppose I really should have listened to you. I apologize for getting you into this..." He expressed to me.</p><p>"Well... at least they didn't separate us. It would be much harder to deal with by ourselves, right?" I tried to comfort him, but truthfully, I was still terrified, and this was his fault mostly.</p><p>"True... Thank you Ayrice."</p><p>I nodded as I shifted a bit where I rested, pushing some sand away with my tail.</p><p>"Things are different here. This isn't the ocean we grew up in. Also, it's more or less just us. Even if Zephic and Salo join us it's still just the four of us. There's no longer a need to keep up appearances," Synris continued a few moments later.</p><p>I looked at him a bit, puzzled by where this was going. "What do you mean?"</p><p>He smiled at me. "I mean there is no longer a reason to keep titles and to treat each other as master and servant. We need each other still but not like that. We need each other as support."</p><p>"Alright," I agreed.</p><p>We stayed near each other then; talking for some time. We even laughed a little at some of the memories we shared.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Food</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Over the next several light cycles, we learned four things.</p><p>First, light cycles were our new sun cycles. The lights were bright for so long and then dimmed to nearly nothing to mimic when the moon should have been out. It was still a strange and unnatural feeling.</p><p>Second, we were not allowed to eat the live fish or plants. Synris ate the fish the humans had tried to add with us and before he had even finished the humans had taken us out of the tank and into smaller pools somewhere else and the whole ordeal was frightening. They put me back in the tank because I refused to touch live fish but Synris took longer. He told me after that the humans hit him with a stick if he so much as chased the fish. On the upside we now have living creatures in the tank. It isn't so dreadfully boring.</p><p>Third thing, Zephic and Salo didn't care about us at all. We saw them once maybe twice and they were usually playing with each other and really looked to be having a grand time over in their cage. It almost made me jealous, but I hated this place too much and wondered more how they could be happy at all. Synris was obnoxiously at ease most of the time too. How and why were any of them okay in this horrible situation?</p><p>Fourth thing, we were only allowed to eat what was tossed in by the humans.</p><p>I don't know how long we had been there at that point, but I was growing ill. The humans failed to realize I don't eat fish and that the kelp they had growing also made me ill. I was eating it because there wasn't anything else, but it was making my stomach boil itself.</p><p>This has of course made Synris very displeased. He knows the kelp makes me sick and is upset that I refuse to eat anything else. The other has also been acting strange lately. I shouldn't say strange, just a lot friendlier towards me than I'm used to dealing with. I think he's growing bored, or he just wants to cheer me up.</p><p>I should mention that mers are people of physical socializing. Generally, we're touchy, handsy and most of us socialize in sexual ways. Personally, I was the white whale out on the matter as I was one of very few who liked personal space.</p><p>Despite this, and the fact that he knew I didn't like being touched, Synris was being extra clingy. He'd come up behind me and rub himself against me or use his tail to rub mine. I took to hiding in the sand and rocks to avoid it all. Synris liked to play with the fish and mess with the humans so I was able to at least find some peace here. Until Synris would scream at dinner time and make me come up to at least look at the food.</p><p>It finally got to the point though where I was starving and too tired from not eating. I had tried the food, but my body rejected it and expelled it the same way it had gone down. So even though I was willing to try and eat, I literally couldn't. I had finally gotten so weak that I could not even move away as the humans came and tried to prod me to move. I answered with a groan. Synris heard and came to shoo the human away from me, protecting me. The thought made me feel better at least.</p><p>Still I didn't feel particularly good. I hated the place and was so hungry.</p><p>"How are you feeling?" Synris returned after the humans left us. He sat near me and stroked my cheek</p><p>"Not good..." I mumbled back to him. He knew I didn't like being touched at all. I had hoped to at least get some space while I died.</p><p>I didn't. Honestly, I should have realized before even this what it would inevitably lead to. I'm not sure how I didn't.</p><p>For days I laid there, and my state worsened. At no point did Synris respect my personal space. He would rub against me or sit there and pet me as the world faded in and out of focus around me. I couldn't respond anymore and barely realized when it was the humans moving me. I think I only knew because Synris' scream woke me up for a moment.</p><p>The humans moved me to a smaller water filled cage. This one had no decorations to disguise it and above it was a square of thick material of some kind. I could just see far enough though that around its edges I could see a little bit of the sky. I thought they must let us see the sky again before we died.</p><p>Seeing even just that little bit of sky made it better. I longed to be back in the ocean where I could swim up and see the sky every day or night rather than the hideous, metal and glaring lights the humans had above our cage. I missed the ocean, where the other mers, Synris included, were usually too busy with each other to pay attention to me. I wasn't happy out there, no, but it was better than this place. I thought at least out there I could at least die and find peace. Dying here meant there was certainly no glimmer of hope for me, not even on the other side.</p><p>But I didn't die. No, actually the humans nursed me back to health. They found food I could eat, sea grasses and such, and fed me every hour until I was able to move on my own again and started gaining back some weight.</p><p>They put me back with Synris after I seemed to be recovering properly. I was grateful to see him, but I also missed the sky desperately. Synris made me laugh as he tickled and examined me. Thankfully, he left me alone for a few days after.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Stupid Prince</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Synris left me alone for two or so days before he felt the need to start touching me again.</p><p>I was past the point of annoyed and just flat out irritated. He knew I hated being touched too so finally I just snapped at him.</p><p>"It's nice to see you feeling better," He purred in my ear as he rubbed my tail.</p><p>"Will you knock it off?!" I turned and swatted at him, just wanting him off and away from me.</p><p>"Knock what off? All I did was say I was happy to see you well again," Synris looked at me, confused as he reached to touch me again.</p><p>"No! Stop touching me! You know I hate it! I hate being touched, Synris, you know that!"</p><p>He just stared blankly at me for a moment, "You said my name..."</p><p>"S-sorry. My prince, please stop touching me..." I mumbled as the heat of my rage passed. I suddenly felt guilty though it hadn't been my wrongs.</p><p>"Say it again," He purred and pressed himself against me, trapping me between him and the rock I had been laying on.</p><p>"S-say what again?" For some reason, one you should be able to guess, being trapped like that made me flustered. I felt my cheeks boil but not with rage.</p><p>"My name, say my name," His lips were right next to my ear as his hand rubbed my tail.</p><p>"S-stop it!" I tried to push him off, but the struggle only gave him an opening to get closer.</p><p>He nuzzled my neck and wrapped his tail around mine, loosely caressing me. I tried to push him off again as his hand rubbed my sides.</p><p>"Say my name, Ayrice~" He purred again.</p><p>"S-synris stop it!!" I cried out and tried to push him off again.</p><p>Instead I only gave him the opening to press his lips to mine and shove a finger into my gills. I cried out, really not liking the feeling of something literally under my skin and in my side. He took advantage of it though and shoved his tongue into my mouth. I tried to fight him as he took his fingers out of my gills, to my relief. I couldn't get him off though and his hand moved to rub my side as the other held me by the nape of the neck. If I hadn't had gills, I'm sure his tongue would have choked me, and the evil jerk did something to my fin that made me gasp and nearly moan. He was too close to places he shouldn't be.</p><p>It was all so... so violating! Again, I really should have seen where it would all lead us. But... I don't think I wanted to see. Synris couldn't respect that I didn't enjoy this engagement but the way he growled as he kissed me, it was the kind of growl one made when warning others away from a partner, it made me feel safe even in such a compromising position. He was keeping me safe, like he always tried to do.</p><p>I couldn't help but relax and clumsily kiss him back, not entirely sure what I was doing but just maybe starting to kind of like it a little.</p><p>Ugh this stupid prince... How dare he get to make me feel so violated and so adored all in the same go?</p><p>Finally, he pulled away and simply smirked at me, the smug slug.</p><p>"That wasn't so bad was it?" Synris smiled at me.</p><p>"Y-you stupid prince!" I tried to shove him away, hissing as I thrashed. Alas I was never going to be a match for him, not when he wanted his way.</p><p>"Oh, but you know you enjoyed it too. Just a little more? Please? Come on, it's been so lonely here," He nuzzled me gently and nipped at my throat, making my whole-body shudder.</p><p>I felt bad for him...... and maybe I did like it just a little bit... "...........................................Fine..." I mumbled, yielding to his wishes.</p><p>He didn't bother replying and instead kissed me again, sucking my bottom lip until I granted him access. I still had little clue what I was doing, not very experienced in this. Synris had no problem leading though and easily, naturally caressed me. He pressed against me more, rubbing our tails together and getting far too close to a place he shouldn't be, but he was hinting at what he really wanted. That was still too much for me.</p><p>I pushed him off, mumbling, "Synris please."</p><p>"Alright..." He nodded and kissed me again before getting off me again and letting me go.</p><p>"Stupid prince," I mumbled as I swam away from him, relieved to be free again.</p><p>Synris merely chuckled at me and let me go hide from him.</p><p>That was how it went for a while. I don't remember how long we went like that. He would trap me between himself and the sand or a rock and force me to yield to his kisses. Slowly I stopped minding as much and just got lazier so he could instead come up behind me and get away with more rubbing and kissing on my back and tail. And yes, I did get lazy and I did start to smile a little.</p><p>Synris made me very confused. I hated yet loved being touched now. Surprisingly, he found a lot to talk about and would never shut up...but I did enjoy having him stay next to me, I felt quite a bit safer that way. I didn't need to watch him when he wasn't next to me either though because there was no trouble he could get into here, so I took to spending most of my time lounging on the large rock. Besides, I really didn't want to move with Synris always coming up and massaging me. He made me feel spoiled and I suppose... Maybe the touching wasn't so terrible if it was him.</p><p>It was still so conflicting. I hated it mostly because I didn't like the lack of monogamy my people had. The physical contact wasn't so bad and knowing that I was the only one Synris was touching made me feel nice...but the other side was that back home, in the ocean, I knew he never would have touched me. He would have been off with whomever had caught his interest that hour and would have forgotten I ever existed. These truths always made me feel confused.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Can I slap him?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I wasn't happy. I'm sure you figured that out though. Why? Let me explain.</p><p>It was odd, the strange open and clearly waterless space between our cage and the cage with Zephic and Salo in it was lit for once. Synris was naturally intrigued and took to swimming near the clear wall all the time, trying to see more of this passage and its light sources.</p><p>I simply watched him until the divers came. I was more comfortable with them now but still just a little fearful, and angry that I had to be dying to see the sky, but also scared to be away without Synris. Synris knew I didn't really like them still and came over as soon as he noticed, to sit near me and guard me as the divers fed the other fish first.</p><p>When they fed us, they really only interacted with Synris. They usually handed him food, but they seemed to like it when he would go up and take it from the containers on their belts too, so occasionally Synris would play and push their hands away to take it himself. Once or twice they gave him fake corals they had stuffed with food. They stopped doing that though after only a few tries because Synris would recognize when they did it and would just break the food out. It stopped amusing them.</p><p>They usually gave him the food meant for me too since he would bring it to me when I wouldn't accept it from the divers. However today they came over to us, so I simply sat up and leaned on Synris, making him reach around me to get his food. It was about as playful as I got.</p><p>Synris still knew I was playing and played back. He played in a quite different way though and took to rubbing my tail and over places he shouldn't be near. I squeaked in response, hissed at him, and scrambled away.</p><p>Not only was I embarrassed but the divers had seen. The last thing I wanted was to be the test subject they used to find out how mers reproduced and just no. No, no thank you, this slug violated me enough I did not need humans to do it too.</p><p>I got my food myself from the divers, mad at Synris. He had other ideas and decided on another courting session as the divers left us.</p><p>In all honesty I was tired of his clinginess. He was always on me, coming by sometimes just to rub me and touch me. He was doing that now but also deciding to push all the boundaries.</p><p>Rather than just the usual rubs and massage, he got more sensual. He used his tail and hands to massage my back. As nice as it may sound, he was moving dangerously low on my body and towards the front of my tail. This was going too far for comfort.</p><p>As I'm sure you've figured out, I was not happy about this. I tried to turn and push him off me but all I did was give him access to my front. He pinned me down and purred as he nuzzled me.</p><p>"S-synris stop!" I whimpered, trying to get up and away from him. I didn't want this.</p><p>"Hush~ You'll like this I promise," He practically purred to me.</p><p>"What if I don't? Synris please!!" I wanted to scream. I did not like where this was going.</p><p>"Hush and just trust me." He suddenly smacked the rock with his tail, and I quieted.</p><p>It didn't matter. Synris was stronger than me so if he wanted me, he would have me regardless of what I said. This honestly wasn't the first time something like this had happened. It was the first time Synris had done this, but not the first time I had been forced to socialize like this. Mers were just social people and this was how they liked to get closer to each other. It was selfish of me for refusing so long.</p><p>I still didn't like it much. Synris was much better than the other experiences I had but it was a foreign feeling, the way he made my body tingle.</p><p>When he finished, he grew upset with me. Synris could tell I had not liked it much at all and acted like a prince about it. He got the rock to lay on and sulk as I went to hide in the sand in the back of this watery cage.</p><p>I still wanted to scream. He knew I didn't like it, but it felt again like he only thought of himself, even when he thought of me. I felt violated but the familiar conflicted feeling rose in my chest too. I knew Synris must be so lonely. On one fin, he violated me, on the other I was his only company and he had to be so, so lonely.</p><p>When the divers came again, I didn't move, my appetite long gone. I didn't want to see Synris then either. I wanted to think and sleep, not eat. Synris wasn't having it though.</p><p>He brought my food down to me and when I refused, he thrashed his tail around, slapping the sand and sending clouds of it up around us, threatening me with hisses and growls. I didn't get a say in this either.</p><p>The divers saw all of this but did nothing as Synris acted more aggressive until I finally ate.</p><p>I don't think it counts as abuse. He never hurt me, just scared me. He was only trying to take care of me though. To make me eat he grabbed me and shook me until I screamed at him. He dragged me into the hole his tail-thrashing had made and hissed until I ate my food.</p><p>I ate everything, not having the choice. Only then did Synris leave me again.</p><p>He left me alone, but I stayed in the sand hole all night, shook and alone with my thoughts. I didn't sleep at all and was still awake when the lights came back on, signifying about an hour until we were fed again.</p><p>I wanted to move but now I was too scared of Synris. He had made it explicitly clear he was the one in charge here, I really should have known then, and I was afraid to upset him anymore. I didn't have to wait long though as he soon came and nestled himself into the sand hole with me.</p><p>"Ayrice?" He murmured softly, gently toying with the edge of my fin.</p><p>"What do you want..." I only mumbled back, wishing he would just leave me alone.</p><p>"You won't believe me, not now and you have every reason not to but please... I love you, please," He shifted closer, nuzzling my ear and speaking softly to me.</p><p>I stayed quiet and let him whisper all the reassurances and promises he wanted to me. He was right, I didn't believe him. Not after he forced me to entertain him and then threatened me so much. He kept apologizing and promising he cared about me though. Slowly he kept moving closer until he was against me, then over me and massaging me like he normally did.</p><p>Slowly he moved back to the morning routine, letting me relax as he moved his magic hands over my back. Nothing he did hinted at anything else and he seemed genuinely sorry for what he did... but I kept quiet.</p><p>When food came around again, he merely left it within easy reach and then left me alone to decide for myself if I was eating. He gave me the usual massages throughout the day but otherwise left me to myself. He played by himself and I stayed in the sand hole, slowly letting myself go back to being blissfully blind.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Games in the Garden</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I noticed the lights in between the enclosures were on yet again. I still found it odd and I also saw Zephic and Salo were looking at them too. I tried to wave and see if they would care but Synris was demanding my attention.</p><p>I had finally forgiven him for what he did and since he wouldn't leave me alone. I couldn't honestly say I was mad at him though. He was a sociable person and the isolation of this place must be killing him. I smiled a little, getting an idea since he wasn't going to leave me alone anyway.</p><p>"Synris~" I purred, sitting on my rock, and twirling my hair around a finger.</p><p>Since being here our hair had gotten longer. His was long before and growing it out made him look more, I hate to admit, like a god risen from the abyss...mine on the other hand made me look more like a maiden. I don't have anything against maidens, it's just that I am not one and would like to not be mistaken for one.</p><p>Synris came over as soon as I called, stopping at my fluke, and waiting to hear what I wanted.</p><p>I wasn't exactly sold on my own idea but maybe if I told myself it was what I wanted, I would want it and then it wouldn't be so bad.</p><p>"Play with me~" I let go of my hair in favor of his chin, making him look up at me.</p><p>"What do you want to play?" Synris smiled back, his hands moving up my tail.</p><p>"Not-uh," I stopped his hands, not letting him reach any higher. "You have to catch me first~" I pushed his hands off entirely. "Now count to five so I have a head start."</p><p>He smiled and let me move away, waiting until I was out of sight to start counting.</p><p>"One..." I realized I really should have thought this through. "Two..." Where in a cage of fake rock and kelp do I hide? "Three~" He started singing, that meaning he was excited. "Four~" Oh carps of the open ocean this was not going smoothly at all! "Five!!" He was laughing as he started looking for me.</p><p>I had to be smart. There was only one place to hide in here and he should check that first. I hid in the kelp and waited, watching the entrance to the shallow cave. I held my breath when he went and checked it, only daring to breathe again when he went out and swam the other way. I waited a second before going in myself.</p><p>For the time being he would look around the cage and not here. I waited to make sure he wasn't near before burying myself in the sand. I only needed to hide my torso since my hair and tail blended with the sand, a nice benefit of being common. I smiled a little as I laid there to wait.</p><p>"Ayrice!" Synris was already confused as he called for me.</p><p>I had to hold my mouth to keep from laughing as he continued to call for me. It didn't take long for him to start whining. I just smiled and kept quiet. I had to really put in effort when the divers came to feed us because that was when Synris started screaming.</p><p>His scream was horrifying and heartbreaking at the same time, but I made myself stay quiet, unwilling to give in so easy. None of the fish would go near him though while he screamed, apparently, even they recognized their prince. It took him a few minutes before he quieted and let the fish eat. Honestly, the fuss he was making was funny. It was so hard not to laugh, especially since he overlooked me twice already.</p><p>That repeated both times the divers came to feed and since I stayed hidden, I didn't get to eat all day. Finally, when the light dimmed, signaling the fake night, I let out a giggle.</p><p>"Ayrice?" Synris heard me and sounded worried.</p><p>I giggled again and covered my mouth, attempting to stifle myself but it was too late. I couldn't stop now that I had started, the giggles just kept spilling out.</p><p>"Ayrice what are you laughing for!?" Synris practically growled as he grabbed me by the tail and pulled me out.</p><p>"I laid there...! The entire day!" I was laughing as I rested against him and watched the air bubbles I created float up to the surface of the water.</p><p>He glared at me as I laughed and leaned against his chest, but he gave in within a few moments and smiled as he held me.</p><p>"Dumb tail..." Synris muttered before placing a hesitant kiss just under my jaw.</p><p>"Stop it!" I pushed his head away, "That tickles," I was still smiling.</p><p>He hesitated another moment before placing a series of gentle and ticklish kisses on my jaw and neck. I started giggling again, the ticklish sensation drawing the noise from a bubbling well in my chest. I tried to squirm away, but he held me and continued to tickle me with the light kisses as we both tumbled back into the sand.</p><p>Our tails were intertwined as I laughed and playfully wrestled with him. He didn't get off me though and instead kissed me. Actually kissed me.</p><p>I hesitated a moment before kissing back. He pulled away a moment or two later but was still laying in the sand with me.</p><p>"You really are my best friend, Ayrice," He moved the hair from my face, "I don't know what I would do without you."</p><p>"I love you too," I just smiled at him, happy to see that doofy grin he gave, that one that lit his whole face up as he kissed me again.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Oooh Gods of the Ocean!...pt 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Things started normally but then the divers came and started talking. It was strange when their voices came from everywhere all at once. They were loud and their voices hurt my ears, they must've given Synris a headache since he continued to try and bury his head in something.</p><p>He gave up and just pushed his head against my chest. I held his hands over his ears, suffering more myself, as we sat on my rock and watched the divers.</p><p>They finally noticed Synris. It took them awhile, but they figured out their volume was what was causing us pain. They fixed it then, but it was still loud. It at least wasn't painful, so it was okay.</p><p>They fed us like normal and then they just kind of messed around. Mostly they swam around and made noises, talking but we couldn't understand.</p><p>"What do you think they're doing?" Synris asked me, still laying on my tail with his face in my stomach.</p><p>"If I knew I'd tell you," I continued playing with his hair as the divers started talking again.</p><p>There were more voices than divers now. It was odd. They paused here and there as if waiting for an unheard answer. Synris noticed too but we stayed put as neither of us knew where the other voices came from or why they paused, continued, paused. They stayed by the clear wall above us too.</p><p>They offered us food again finally. Synris was hungry, as always, and wasted no time in swimming to the divers and taking his food. He was already eating when he looked up and saw all the humans in the area between our watery cages.</p><p>He didn't bother to stop eating and just curiously stared at all of them. I on the other fin saw them before I got food and instead of eating, I went and hid in the bottom of the watery cage. A few separate times they tried to get me to go up into view of the clear wall, but I wouldn't. I wasn't going to be some show for the humans, being their captive here was bad enough. Synris' playfulness was enough to cover for us both anyway.</p><p>He obviously enjoyed playing with the human through the clear wall, he messed with the divers to get reactions from them as well. He was having fun, so I didn't bother him, and I just stayed put in the sand. I saw the hands of a few that Synris put his hand against the clear wall to meet, I also glimpsed a few smaller faces and assumed they were probably young humans, offspring.</p><p>It felt like hours before the divers left. They left my food for me and let Synris play by the clear wall as they left us. It was another long while before Synris finally moved away from the wall, all the humans leaving for some reason as the lights were dimmed to mimic the night cycle.</p><p>Synris came down. "Ayrice?" he called.</p><p>"I'm right here," I looked up at him as he smiled and came down to me.</p><p>"I know you're not one for socializing, but it really wasn't that bad. Only the divers can touch you and you know they won't unless you touch them first," He was already trying to convince me to play with the humans next time.</p><p>"I know..."</p><p>"Alright......let's make a deal." He smirked.</p><p>"Okay..." I knew this was as close to a choice as I was getting with him so I might as well hear it out. I might actually get to pick the lesser of two terribles this way.</p><p>"You can either go up and at least sit where the humans can see you or you stay out of sight and never be bothered about it again, from me at least, but you have to be my mate." He put his arm over me, smirking.</p><p>I thumped my tail and looked away from him. What was worse? Entertaining humans who knows how often or letting Synris have his way with me? Honestly, I'll never admit this to him but, he can sometimes make being touched pleasant... And it was better than be living doll for humans to ogle and gawk at all day</p><p>"............Be your mate..." I mumbled, sighing a bit because no I didn't enjoy either activity but entertaining him felt less like slavery.</p><p>He was surprised. Synris thought I would've chosen to entertain the humans. If he had asked me a month before I would have, but after giving in to him so many times now and knowing I would have to give in to him still it was easier to give into him and not deal with humans than it was to deal with both.</p><p>"Alright...when do you want to uphold your end then?" He finally asked, eying me suspiciously as if I might be the one pulling some trick.</p><p>"Can I eat first?" I mumbled again, hungry after a full day of no food because of humans.</p><p>He nodded and got my food for me. He let me eat and then.... well you can fill that in yourself... If you must know it... It wasn't bad. I will admit, the idea that I was his and he was mine reassured me. This would never have happened in the ocean. In fact, I likely would have been killed for it but... We were never getting out of here, I wouldn't admit it, but I knew it then already.</p><p>I did not want to move the next day and when Synris tried to get me up to go eat he got a tail fluke to the face. So, with a huff he left me to keep sleeping in the sand.</p><p>He brought my food to me and let me nibble on it, though I pushed it away soon as I simply didn't have the appetite.</p><p>"Ayrice what's wrong with you? You need to eat," Synris puffed, sitting beside me as the divers started messing with their voices again. They came from all around and source-less voices joined them. It was still so odd.</p><p>"Not hungry." I pushed at the sand until I was facing away from him and able to curl up in a hole I'd made.</p><p>"Are you really that upset?" He almost sounded worried about me.</p><p>"Tired." I was giving short replies, hopefully getting my annoyance across to him. I just wanted to sleep.</p><p>He stayed beside me and started massaging my shoulders and back.</p><p>"Sleep then, I'll keep you safe today," He whispered reassuringly to me as he continued to slowly massage my back, coaxing me to sleep in the warm sand.</p><p>For a few moments I felt like I was safe. Really safe. Keeping my eyes closed I could imagine being with him in the shallows of a hidden, tropical island where we could be mates and be left unbothered to enjoy our days together freely. I knew it was only a fantasy but a sweet dream it was for me...</p><p>Synris didn't need to try to win here. In no time I was completely relaxed in the sand, sleeping off my aches and uneasiness.</p><p>When I woke up, fresh food was waiting for me and Synris was a few fins away from me, brushing his hair out with a comb he'd made. I stretched and sat up before lazily moving to lay on his tail. I was still sleepy and honestly didn't want to do anything besides sleeping more.</p><p>"You've slept all day Ayrice, eat something won't you?" He asked, clearly concerned. It was never good when a mer wouldn't eat.</p><p>I groaned and just stayed put. I didn't feel like food. I wanted to sleep.</p><p>"Fine.........go back to sleep," He gave in as he started brushing my hair.</p><p>He finished before I sprang up and wrapped my arms around his neck, making us both fall into the sand as I giggled at him.</p><p>"Hey!" He held me but looked confused. This was certainly out of character for me, even I knew that, but I just felt needy in the moment.</p><p>"Not even a kiss? I would expect a 'How did you sleep, my dear?' from you but not even a good morning kiss? I feel so loved," I teased him.</p><p>Although it made me uncomfortable, I know he liked things like this just like he enjoyed touching and being touched and he practically lived for company. It wouldn't kill me to compromise a little. That's what friends were supposed to do, especially as mates.</p><p>"I'm terribly sorry, my dearest. Allow me to make it up to you," He smiled and gently kissed me.</p><p>I hesitated before kissing back. He was gentle and sweet with me before pulling away. I almost didn't want it to stop.</p><p>"So, my dearest, how did you sleep?" He did a deep and dramatic gentleman voice I couldn't help but to giggle at.</p><p>"Fine, thank you for asking," I was still giggling in his arms as he smiled and kissed me again.</p><p>"I'm happy to hear that~" Synris smiled.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Oooh Gods of the Ocean...pt 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Well things have taken an unexpected turn. Only once in my life prior to this cage have I experienced a comparable situation and just like most undesirable situations I end up in, it is yet again Synris' fault. But this time, I can't cure it with rest and medicine simply because it's not simple anymore...</p><p>Getting my energy back didn't take long, in fact I was fine after a day of sleeping.</p><p>But that was I don't even know how long ago. We've been here for some time and although maybe some good things have come of it, I'm still rather.... Wary of the humans. Mostly when they gather in such large numbers just on the other side of the clear wall...and when the smaller ones hit at the clear wall and attempt to scream at the fish or Synris.</p><p>I got used to it though, disliked it but could tolerate it, and spending the day in the bottom of the watery cage wasn't that bad. Synris took regular breaks to come lay with me and always insisted on pampering me. Then at nights if one of us couldn't sleep, depending on which one of us couldn't count enough shells, we'd either play or just lay there and cuddle. Surprisingly, I'm the one that preferred to lay and cuddle. Maybe twice he managed to talk me into a little more than cuddling......but it wasn't the worst thing ever.</p><p>Today though I wasn't feeling well. Somehow, I'd gotten sick or something and my stomach hurt. I was hungry when the divers brought food, but I was afraid to eat for fear I couldn't keep it down.</p><p>"Ayrice you need to eat." Synris sat with me and started scolding me for not eating.</p><p>"I don't want to..." I mumbled back.</p><p>"Why not?" He asked.</p><p>"...I just don't want to eat right now."</p><p>"Ayrice."</p><p>I sighed and slowly started eating. He watched as I just lamely nibbled at things before finally giving up and pulling me down to lay in the sand with him. The way he pulled me made it so I was on my stomach with my arms stretched out as he let go of my wrist and put an arm over my back, gently rubbing along my spinal knots.</p><p>"Would you feel better if I gave you a massage?" He asked softly in my ear.</p><p>"No difference........" I mumbled as he sighed and just started to massage my back, trying to soothe me despite my discouraging answer. It was a sweet attempt.</p><p>He had long ago figured out the best places to rub on and he often only rubbed there when he wanted something. But he had no hidden intentions now as he massaged my lower back and rubbed gentle circles in my sides, just trying to make me feel better. After a while he did manage to lull me into an uneasy sleep.</p><p>It was getting harder and harder for me to get to sleep and to stay asleep. A couple of days after I'd started feeling stomach pains I couldn't even lay on my stomach. This caused a problem for me since I was uncomfortable laying any other way. Despite my best efforts I could never get comfortable in the sand if I tried laying on my sides and laying on my back made me feel exposed and too anxious to sleep.</p><p>Synris again didn't take long to notice this but he didn't say anything until I threw up. I hadn't been eating so it was nothing but bile, but it was still gross. Synris was at my side faster than expected and oddly didn't say anything... He just gently pulled me into his lap and rubbed my sides as he held me. Honestly being held like that was more comfortable than I'd been in a couple of weeks and I was in no hurry to move. I fell asleep in his arms, sleeping better than I had in what felt like weeks.</p><p>When I awoke, I was met with a nasty surprise. Instead of in Synris' arms I was in the rehabilitation tank, the same one I'd been put in when I couldn't eat because fish disgusted me. It was a few days of not being able to keep much down and constantly being touched by humans before they finally found something I could keep down and found out what was wrong with me.</p><p>I was horribly scared during all of this, but the little edges of sky were so nice to see too. I could stare at them and daydream of freedom in the sparing quiet moments I had.</p><p>They figured out that I had no problem keeping liquids down. So as a solution to the whole I couldn't eat problem, they gave me a nasty liquid that made me feel full and was obviously working as I started putting weight back on easily with it. This helped a lot, but I was still vomiting from time to time.</p><p>Now what was wrong with me? Well they found out after forcing me under this terrifying machine. There was another screen thing nearby with two humans in long white material coverings in front of it. It took them all a bit to get me to lay still. As I said the machine was terrifying and I was scared, you would be too after going through so many horrible things with these creatures. Three humans had my tail pinned down and there was one on each of my arms as well, none of which helped to relax me. They had me tied with some material too, but they seemed to think I would free myself. My only comfort was I could see just a little more of the sky here. I could dream of flying while I died. Finally, when I was still they flipped the machine on. I cried with relief that it didn't hurt. I had thought for sure they intended to kill me.</p><p>I realized then the humans sounded odd. They were all looking at the screen and then at me only to look back at the screen. One in the white body covering kneeled beside me, attempting to be calming as they gently moved my hair from my face. They kept making noises, trying to tell me something.</p><p>I let out a low whine and lamely tried to move away. The human just smiled and turned towards the screen, pointing at it as they talked to me. I didn't understand them at all, and this was a terribly uncomfortable place to be.</p><p>I could kind of understand humans now but what this one was saying I had no idea. I looked at the screen, anyway, trying to figure out what was on it myself. I managed to move my chest a little, making my entire spine arch. That's when I realized the screen was showing my bones. Then I realized it wasn't focused on my bones but rather it was on the smaller bones in my stomach area under the machine. It was another moment before realization dawned on me.</p><p>That was showing my body. Inside my body... where another body was. The bones didn't look right, still developing surely. For a moment I was too shaken by the realization I was seeing my baby inside me, but then the very fact that I was pregnant came to the forefront and I was panicking.</p><p>Before I even knew what was happening, I was back in the rehabilitation tank and alone again.</p><p>Oh, Great Gods of the Abyss what was I supposed to do!?? How would Synris react? How was I expected to raise a child in this watery hell? What was I supposed to do? I was so scared! I could no longer pretend to be blind when the very thing I had spent so much time pretending wouldn't happen was happening.</p><p>I was crying. The pains and sleep deprivation and vomiting all made sense but I had no idea how to feel about what was causing all of it. Honestly...all of it made me wish I had a mother to turn to......but even back in the ocean I wouldn't have had that so what was the point? I felt myself sinking back into the black trench of self-loathing...what was I supposed to do?</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Zephic and Salo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was another few days before they moved me into the regular tank again. I was happy and scared at the same time since I expected to be put back with Synris but that didn't happen. Instead I was across the weird, currently empty space between cages and placed with Zephic and Salo!</p><p>As soon as the divers were away from us, I was met with probably the tightest hug I've ever been in. Zephic was especially reluctant to let me go. It was nice and truly I was incredibly happy to see them, but despite my fears, I really wanted to just see Synris again.</p><p>"Hey, are you doing alright Ayrice?" Salo was the first to notice how out of it I actually was.</p><p>I just shook my head as Salo came and settled beside me. Zephic wasn't far behind her and soon they were on either side of me, offering comfort.</p><p>"What's wrong then?" Salo asked.</p><p>"........I'm pregnant...." I mumbled.</p><p>They looked at each other and Salo gave a short nod to Zephic.</p><p>"That's why you're with us then...... Well, it's fine, we can take care of you until you have the babe," Zephic tried to cheer me up.</p><p>"But I want to tell Synris. And I want to leave this place. I want to go home!" I whimpered. Home would have me killed but back home none of this would have ever happened. I might even have been freed and allowed to leave if Zephic married Synris.</p><p>My outburst resulted in Salo wrapping her arms around me and pulling me to her chest. She held me like that as she ran her fingers through my hair to try and comfort me. It was the most motherly thing anyone had ever done for me. It helped a little.</p><p>"I know this isn't exactly paradise but...Ayrice I think for you at least here is a lot better than home...........it's going to be fine, things will start looking up again soon..." Salo spoke softly.</p><p>"I want Synris........" I sulked.</p><p>For better or worse I at least wanted him to know. Of course, I was terrified he'd get upset but he still needed to know... It was obvious it was his baby.</p><p>I just wanted to go home. Maybe, given the circumstances, here was better but back home in the ocean I also never would have been in this mess. I wouldn't have been so confused and lost. Synris would have never decided he liked me, and I might have even found someone else I liked, that shared my views and actually respected my space.</p><p>No matter what I told myself though, nothing changed the situation and the fact that Salo was right. For me, here was a lot better than home. If I were home, I would likely still be underweight and alone. If I went home now...well it wasn't bad that Synris slept with me but mating me and letting me carry his child was certainly taboo. Although I'm certain no consequence would be put on him, I would face certain death for tainting the royal bloodline. Yes, it was better here but at the same time it really wasn't.</p><p>I felt trapped and scared. I didn't like the humans before and I really didn't like them now. They were unpredictable and in reality, my life was in their hands. That was a scary thought by itself and now I had to bring a child into it. And I had no doubt the humans wouldn't leave my babe alone. They'd probably just take them from me and force me to let them be touched and tortured. And Synris still didn't know...</p><p>Synris would realize immediately his mistake with me. I wanted him to know, he at least should know, but I was scared to tell him. As soon as I did, he would become angry, he'd remember that he was really a prince and that I was really his servant and he'd kill the babe, my babe. I didn't want that. I just wanted Synris but if he found out I was carrying his child....</p><p>Salo had transferred me to Zephic while I had been lost in my own thoughts. Now Zephic had no idea how to calm me since I'd started whimpering and was rocking me in desperation. As much as I wanted to stop panicking though I couldn't. Eventually I tired myself out and was able to fall into an uneasy sleep.</p><p>When I woke up Zephic was still holding me, but it wasn't in a calming way. She was holding me protectively now and I could feel more than hear her growling. Salo wasn't far from us as she acted protectively as well, slapping her tail against the rocks as she blocked the divers from coming any closer.</p><p>I shifted in Zephic's arms as I realized the divers were only here to feed us. I mumbled to Zephic about being hungry and not having much choice but to let them over if we wanted to eat.</p><p>Hesitantly she stopped growling, begrudgingly agreeing I needed food more than ever now, and called Salo back but she made no move to let go of me. Salo stayed between us and the divers as we ate.</p><p>When the divers left Salo settled beside us with a huff. Something was on her mind and I wasn't sure what to expect.</p><p>"How badly do you want to see Synris?" She asked suddenly.</p><p>I felt Zephic tense a bit while she held me again. They disagreed on where this was going then.</p><p>It was true I wanted to see Synris but if he saw me it wouldn't take long for him to figure out what was going on...and I was terrified of his reaction. He needed to know though...</p><p>"I can't see him............." I wanted to scream again.</p><p>"Do you want to see him?" She insisted.</p><p>I nodded slowly. Yes, I wanted to see him.......</p><p>"No, Salo it's too risky!" Zephic had pulled me up to her chest and was holding me tightly. She really disagreed.</p><p>"Got a better idea? No, you don't so hush and let's at least tell him what the idea is," Salo shushed Zephic.</p><p>Hard to believe Zephic was once bound to be queen, she was a push-over, as I was quickly learning.</p><p>"Fine.........." Zephic huffed, relenting unhappily.</p><p>"Alright, here's the deal Ayrice. If you really want to see Synris we have to make it look like you're unwelcome here. So, in front of the divers we have to make it look like we're trying to kill you. Then when they take you outta here, you need to act so depressed you can't even shrug. Then, hopefully, they'll put you back with Synris......" Salo proposed.</p><p>".............I'll think about it...." I mumbled after several long minutes of silence.</p><p>I did think about it and even slept on it before agreeing. Worst case scenario is I lived the rest of my life in the isolation tank and never got much room to move, but at least I got to see the sky and would be able to tell my babe stories of the ocean before I lost them too.</p><p>Zephic gave me one final hug and reminded me that they meant none of what they did before our act started. The divers bought it quickly. Or maybe they just didn't want to take risks since I was carrying a babe. Either way, I was in isolation again quickly.</p><p>I did what Salo told me to and acted like I didn't have the will to move. It took more out of me not to move when the humans touched me more. However, they put me back with Zephic and Salo and it started over. They tried that three more times before finally putting me back with Synris.</p><p>Zephic's crushing hug had been nothing compared to Synris'.</p><p>"I'm so sorry! I wanted you to get better! I'm sorry please I'm so sorry!" He was nearly screaming as he refused to let go of me.</p><p>So, he had given me up to the divers thinking I was sick.... It was a touching thought and made sense considering we had no access to anything useful if we wanted to treat ourselves.</p><p>"It's okay... I just want to sleep.......can you hold me for a little bit?" I was hesitant to ask but he was quick to agree. Of course, he was, he loved any kind of physical contact.</p><p>He held me and comforted meand gave all kinds of reassurances to me as I fell asleep in his arms. It wasthe best sleep I had gotten in probably weeks.</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Synris</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I woke up still in Synris' arms. He was awake but hadn't moved in effort to keep me comfortable and asleep. I stretched and he loosened his arms around me. I could hear him purring already.</p><p>"Morning..." He smiled at me.</p><p>I nodded, still half asleep and just agreeing with him. Synris knew immediately that I wasn't awake enough to really process things yet and so he tried to play with me.</p><p>"Did you miss me?"</p><p>Again, I nodded.</p><p>"Are you comfortable?" He asked.</p><p>I nodded and shifted, cuddling back up against his chest as I closed my eyes.</p><p>"Are you vegetarian?"</p><p>Once more I nodded as I started drifting back to sleep.</p><p>"Are you sleepy?" I realized his game too late as I nodded in response and was already dozing back off.</p><p>"Would you like a little affection~?" Synris practically cooed in my ear.</p><p>I nodded, having not been listening and already almost asleep again. He laughed and started rubbing my tail suggestively. I shot up, completely awake now, and pushed away from him.</p><p>"H-hey stop!" I looked at him, half afraid and half mad.</p><p>"I was playing, just playing. I won't try anything I promise," He smiled as he moved and settled beside me. Apparently, my sulking was funny as he snickered at me. The slug.</p><p>I huffed and rolled my eyes as I leaned against him anyway. He laughed and put his arm around me, burying his face in my neck. It was a nice feeling.</p><p>"I like this side of you......I mean I've always liked you, but I guess since being here you've changed a bit. I like it," He mused quietly.</p><p>"I haven't changed," I was worried for a split second that he already knew about the babe and that he was talking about my...my pregnancy.</p><p>"Yes, you have. Since we got here you've relaxed. Yes, you're still uneasy with the humans but other than that you really have relaxed. There's no work for you to stress over, you don't have to worry about me getting into trouble, you're no longer under society's pressure and it's all changed you. I like that though. You're up to a healthy weight finally, you've caught up on years worth of lost sleep, and you're even okay with being touched. And don't act like you don't enjoy the massages~" Synris smiled against my neck, nearly giggling against my skin.</p><p>I'm not sure how I didn't notice then.</p><p>What he said was true though...I did maybe like the massages at least...I sighed as I let him nuzzle in my hair as he held me.</p><p>"You've gained more weight though......." He looked puzzled for a moment as his eyes moved from my slightly rounded stomach to my eyes, then back again.</p><p>I was only just starting to show... The swell was barely noticeable at best.</p><p>"O-oh? Heh, guess there wasn't much to do without you around..." I lied.</p><p>"Yeah?" He smiled, seemingly buying it for now.</p><p>Synris went back to nuzzling my neck and leaving small marks on me. I let him, not really having the energy to do much else. Besides, I felt guilty for lying to him.</p><p>I was still so scared to tell him. What if he actually did kill my babe? I knew I should have told him. I should have gotten it over with and told him on my own.</p><p>But instead I sighed and closed my eyes to sleep again as Synris did what he pleased. I wanted a break, a few moments to dream again of the shallow paradise.</p><p>I think Synris knew the whole time. He acted childish sometimes, but he was far from stupid. I would dare to bet he knew before I did even. But he didn't say anything until I literally could not hide it from him, after all it's rather hard to hide a swollen stomach.</p><p>For weeks it stayed quiet. I almost felt normal besides from the occasional time when I couldn't keep anything down to save my life. Synris was also a blowhole about the thick, liquid food substitute I got more times than not. He tried it and couldn't stand it, then teased me about weird tastes. I called him a slug for it and he just laughed.</p><p>I got used to hiding all day from the humans at the clear wall, and to the massages Synris always gave me. Even the extra kisses I got from them were nice and Synris picked up the habit of holding me so I could sleep at night.</p><p>As is my fortune, all good things come to an end. I should have told him when he was obviously in a good mood, should have faced reality sooner but instead I dreamed of an island.</p><p>Mer pregnancies lasted for-splashing-ever and I was maybe a quarter through it. It was enough though; I was certainly showing. My stomach wasn't that big, but it was enough to rouse suspicion, or confirm it.</p><p>I had just woken up in his arms again as I happily stretched out some before laying my head against his chest and purring softly.</p><p>"Food yet?" I asked, hopeful.</p><p>I was constantly hungry, I mean always. To a point where I seriously considered eating fish again sometimes because I felt like I was constantly starving.</p><p>"No." His answer was short and nothing about him was like his normal happy self. I don't think the flag could be anymore red if it were sewn from blood.</p><p>"Synris...everything alright?" I rubbed my eyes as I moved away to sit beside him and look at him.</p><p>"Perfect." He was glaring at me almost as he watched me carefully, suspicious.</p><p>I think a side effect of pregnancy is reflexively protecting your stomach and that's what I did before realizing it. Unfortunately, Synris noticed the movement as well. His eyes locked on the swell of my midsection.</p><p>"Stomach hurt?" The feigned concern and implied accusation made something in my chest hurt.</p><p>"N-no..." I already knew lying to him would take me nowhere. I needed to tell him now.</p><p>"Really? Odd, how much weight you're gaining and how you're still vomiting not to mention you can't even lay on your stomach now. You know, while you slept so soundly, I couldn't help but to note how firm your stomach has gotten. Ayrice, do you have a parasite?" Synris had moved closer to me and put his hand on my tail, pinning me by it all too easily.</p><p>I fell on my elbows as a result of trying to scoot away. He was glaring down at me and his tone made it clear he didn't actually think I had a parasite. He knew but he wanted me to say it now. The look I was getting and the tone he was using though, I couldn't stop myself as I started whimpering, terrified.</p><p>"Sy-Synris," I whimpered and reached for his hands again, wishing he would hold me instead of this. His arms made me feel so safe nowadays.</p><p>He moved up, crawling over me and I was hopeful, but instead he grabbed me by the hair and pinned my head to the sandy floor. "Answer. Me." He growled, livid with me.</p><p>"No-no parasite! Preg-pregnant! I'm pregnant!" I choked out between the whimpers and trembling.</p><p>"Mine?" Synris asked, still growling. He had to know it was his, of course it was.</p><p>"Yes!" I answered him, trying to swallow my own whimpers.</p><p>He pushed my head down roughly and moved away from me. Immediately I moved to get up and away from him, only to be grabbed and roughly forced down again.</p><p>"I didn't say you could move!" Synris snarled at me.</p><p>"S-sorry!" I whined, then yelped as a hard tail collided with my side.</p><p>"I didn't say you could talk either!"</p><p>"I'm sorry!" I whimpered, begging for forgiveness.</p><p>"SHUT UP!" Synris screamed. The sound was full of rage and terrified me so much I stayed in stunned and pained silence as he bit down on my dorsal fin and tore it off in his rage.</p><p>The water around me tinted red as he held me there, snarling in his rage. I knew I had asked for this by waiting so long, by coming back even. Maybe I should have stayed with Zephic and Salo or maybe I just shouldn't have been a coward.</p><p>It didn't matter by then. Istill closed my eyes and dreamed of the warm shallows around a hidden island,escaping in my mind.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Before the Babe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>My dorsal fin would never grow back but at least it was healing. Fortunately, the fish didn't pick on me for it either. It had been a few weeks since Synris ripped it off and he was being somewhat more patient with me. He didn't growl at me so much anymore, but he still didn't like me it seemed.</p><p>Unfortunately, merfolk pregnancies are long and taxing. We show early on, about four months in, and then look like pufferfish until the babe is born...a year later. And the best part is: My pregnancy would be longer since as a male, I'm not properly equipped to nurse a babe. So, the pregnancy takes longer as the babe develops farther and is finally born with the ability to eat regular food. But that's why Synris was only able to tolerate me at best. I'm notably clumsier and rather ungraceful with things now and I'm on his nerves because of it.</p><p>I still am unable to get comfortable on my back or sides and so I haven't slept at all. I've kept up on eating though. Finally, exhaustion won out and I felt like I would sink like a stone as soon as I closed my eyes, but I was so scared to lay down. The fish hadn't picked on me yet but considering my luck... I didn't want to take the chance.</p><p>"S-synris..." It was the first time I had spoken since he tore my dorsal fin off. He only spoke to me to give commands, so I hadn't had a reason to until now.</p><p>I know he heard me; he wasn't too far from me.</p><p>"What?" He sounded annoyed just from having to hear me. Looking at me caused his face to contort with disgust.</p><p>I think I heard my heart break. "I'm tired...p-please..." I mumbled.</p><p>"Then take a nap," He hissed and turned away from me.</p><p>I nodded to myself, feeling the pieces of my heart crumble and fall away. I had no other options, so I went to the small and sad excuse of a cave the tank had and crawled in, curling in on myself in a last desperate attempt to feel somewhat safe again.</p><p>It didn't work well. I was scared one of the larger fish would realize Synris wouldn't protect me so long as I was pregnant and that they would take a chunk out of my still exposed tail. I started whimpering at the thought. All I wanted now was for Synris to at least act like he cared.</p><p>Hadn't he been the one to first say we weren't royal and servant anymore? It didn't matter. I should've known he was only saying things. Just like I should've known just to stay with Zephic and Salo. He didn't love me at all, he was just bored, and I was his only option. He liked playing but only when the game went his way. Well this was his fault. He should have known too what his games would lead to, so this was as much his fault, if not entirely his, as it was mine. It wasn't fair that I was being punished for the things he made me do.</p><p>My whimpers had turned to screams and hisses. I was shaking and trembling so much I'm surprised I didn't create waves in the cage. It seemed all the emotions I had bottled up throughout my life had broken free and now that I had started, I couldn't find the cork to cap the bottle again. At least I was able to fall asleep, screaming myself out.</p><p>I have no idea how long I slept but when I woke, I felt so much better and I had come to a decision. I was nervous but... I had to do it and I wasn't waiting this time. I stretched out some and yawned, watching the air bubble I made rise and disappear over the kelp stalks.</p><p>Kelp stalks? I had fallen asleep in the shallow cave.</p><p>I wasn't in the cave though and I realized finally the wall I had just pushed myself against was actually Synris. The small smile I had fell the same instant as I went stiff. He didn't hit me though and instead scooted back so he had room to start rubbing my lower back with those magic hands.</p><p>It was so, so very tempting to relax and go back to my tropic paradise. I wanted to believe him, believe that he cared for me and loved me but every time I started to trust him, he snapped. If it had been just me, I would have closed my eyes again and gone back to being blissfully blind.</p><p>But it wasn't just me anymore and I had already decided.</p><p>"Why are we whimpering now?" His voice was soft as he moved to hold me like he loved me again.</p><p>I snarled this time and moved away before he could grab me. I wasn't taking this anymore. I couldn't. I wouldn't play this game; I wouldn't close my eyes.</p><p>"Take a guess. Your majesty." I hissed.</p><p>"Ayrice... This isn't the ocean. Come on, it's just Synris. You know that," He looked hurt and confused, like he didn't understand why I was so upset.</p><p>Good. If the stupid slug of a prince was really that oblivious then clearly, I had given him too much credit previously.</p><p>"Really? Because you have sure been acting like it! Oh, we aren't in the ocean so let's just make Ayrice think someone might actually care about him and then as soon as he believes it, throw the sand in his eyes again! You only care when you get your way! But you know what? We aren't in the ocean! So, I don't have to give you your way! I am not taking this anymore! You've proven you don't care so just stay away from me!" I snarled at him and turned to swim away from him.</p><p>I really couldn't stop him if he had other ideas though. Like now, as he easily caught me and grabbed me. I hissed and thrashed.</p><p>"Ayrice! I messed up; I know! I'm sorry okay? Ayrice please!" Synris pleaded but I knew better now. I wasn't falling for any trick he would try to play.</p><p>"Messed up? You're sorry? Abyss yes you messed up but sorry doesn't bring my dorsal fin back now does it, Prince?" I hissed at him, daring to bare my fangs at him too as I continued to thrash and try to get away from him.</p><p>It was no use. He was bigger, stronger, and now angry with me. He grabbed my hair and pinned my head to the sandy floor again, snarling back as I tried to hit him with my tail.</p><p>"What's gotten into you? I said sorry already and I'm trying to make it up to you!" Synris hissed, upset now too.</p><p>"Saying sorry is different than being sorry you stupid slug! You know what? I'm sorry too! I'm sorry you couldn't keep your fins to yourself! I'm sorry you're not ready to face the consequences of having a child with me! I'm sorry you still think it's okay to beat me and I'm really sorry you can't even act like you care even the slightest bit about me! Now get OFF!" I screamed and managed to give him a hard smack to the side of the head with my tail. "If you're sorry you'd take a hint and STAY AWAY FROM ME!"</p><p>He let go, too shocked to be a blowhole about it. I left him there in the cloud of sand and went to hide in the back of the cage.</p><p>That was how the rest of my pregnancy went. I wanted nothing to do with Synris and whenever he even tried to ask how I felt or do anything for me I shot him down and sent him away with growls and snarls. If he got close enough, I hit him with my tail. I refused to say anything to him and as I got closer to having the babe, I began talking to them instead.</p><p>Maybe I was getting lonely but mostly I think I wanted to make sure my babe knew they at least had me... a... a mother...something I never really got. At the very least I wanted to try and make sure they knew someone loved them.</p><p>When I began to really need sleep, I moved from the tank floor up to the water's surface. I used the kelp to make a nest of sorts and wished I had thought of it sooner. I could actually get comfortable up here and if for any reason I ended up needing more air I was right under the water's surface. It was actually kind of nice. And it was easier to bat Synris away. The fish and he couldn't see or touch me, and it was easy to smack anything that came too close. The humans left me alone at least and only the ones on the metal above could see me, so it wasn't so bad.</p><p>Steadily moving got harder and I got lazier and slower. The divers began to bring my food to me. One of them in particular started investing more time with me. He took advantage of the fact that I wasn't going to move unless I had too.</p><p>At one point he brought me a human brush, it looked very odd, and did a weird thing with my hair while I was half asleep and too tired to move. He left the brush with me after that. He bribed me to stay put with food too so that was also why I tolerated him.</p><p>His second gift to me was a nest of woven material. It was much more comfortable than the kelp, larger and stronger too. I wasn't initially very keen to move into it, but he put all my food in the center of it so finally I did and hm no it was nice, and I was staying. Besides, at that point I barely cared and only wanted food. We couldn't understand each other though so I did the only thing I could think of. I pressed my forehead to his, at least I'm fairly sure it was his forehead since human torsos are the same as mers mostly and puffed a short breath out my nose. As far as I knew it was the universal sign of gratitude and so I imagine he understood.</p><p>The same diver, whose features I was slowly piecing out through the face piece he wore, always brought my food then. He liked to talk to me though I understood only the word 'food'. I humored him and occasionally said something back, knowing he didn't understand me either. Usually I just made a noise or huffed, and it seemed to make him just as happy. He was okay, tolerable at least since he never came into my nest and if I really didn't want to deal with him, I could just curl up in the middle and he would leave.</p><p>That was how things went, then finally the babe arrived.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The babe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I will say it here, it felt like a thousand sharks were tearing into me to give birth to this thing. It. Splashing. Hurt!</p><p>But alas, after hours of struggling by myself, I had a babe. He was beautiful and strong enough to swim on his own not even an hour after birth, yet still small enough for me to cradle.</p><p>His eyes were pale and cloudy, his tail and fins were long and extravagant like Synris'. He had my skin and scale colors though. If he hadn't had the sandy colorings he would have easily passed for a royal in the ocean.</p><p>The good thing was no humans were around, as it was the middle of the night cycle. However, this child had his father's energy and wanted to play now. I was exhausted and still bleeding from his birthing though. I was no doubt too clumsy as well and thus would be useless to protect him, and I feared the fish in the cage with us might still take advantage of my sweet babe's softness.</p><p>I tried. I tried to splash water around with him and to play hand games to keep him in the nest. I did my best to play and keep him entertained but the world was growing fuzzy and he wanted out of the nest, growing bored already.</p><p>"Please, just wait. Wait until morning, I beg you. Then we can play," I pleaded, knowing he didn't understand a word of what I was saying yet.</p><p>I noticed Synris, lurking and stalking near when I really thought I couldn't keep my eyes open a second longer. I was desperate, just wanting my babe to be safe if nothing else.</p><p>"Please help?"</p><p>Synris nodded and I let go of the babe. He splashed a bit of water to get the little thing's attention and had the child in his arms before I could change my mind.</p><p>I watched them for as long as I could possibly keep my eyes open. Hearing the babe laughing with Synris made me smile a little, despite my nervousness with letting Synris take care of the child. I had no other choice though; I was nearly unconscious by then.</p><p>The last thing I noted before my eyes closed was that Synris hadn't let the babe stray too far from the surface.</p><p>When I woke the fake sun was on and some weird scratchy thing was irritating my tail and hips. I started trying to get it off but Synris corrected me.</p><p>"That diver put it on you. It stopped the bleeding. They fed him for you and gave him an oyster to suck on too." Synris informed me.</p><p>I stopped pulling the scratchy thing and looked over at the babe, no, my babe. Sure enough, he had an oyster shell in his mouth and was happily gnawing on it as he laid there in the nest. Synris, I realized, was staying at the edges outside of the nest.</p><p>"...Thank you," I mumbled to him and moved to lay down with my babe.</p><p>He was in a good mood, the babe I mean, since he had gotten to play and hopefully napped at some point. He smiled and showed me the oyster, pressing it to my mouth.</p><p>"No thank you, you can keep it," I smiled as he put it back in his mouth and made a weird babe gurgle at me. It was a darling sound.</p><p>"He knows you're his mother," Synris had come around so he could see my face as he spoke softly to me.</p><p>I ignored him, focusing on my babe as I moved my tail lazily to move the water around some.</p><p>"Ayrice, will you please just look at me? At least look at me, please," I could hear his voice crack with grief and pain.</p><p>Good. Let him know my pain. I continued to ignore him and stayed there, laying with my babe. I stretched out some as I got comfortable again and soon the babe fell asleep and I followed his lead. I was suddenly a much lighter sleeper though and kept waking up to check on the sleeping child.</p><p>Synris had left us some time before and I was awake to see the divers when they came to bring us food. They gave the food to me and I shared it with the babe curled at my side. I gave the fish bits to him too since he didn't have a problem with them like I did. He only took a bit before closing his eyes and going back to sleep against my side.</p><p>The diver stayed at the edge of the nest like usual and talked to me, though we didn't understand each other at all. He stayed longer than the other divers, as was usual, but then Synris popped up and started hissing at him.</p><p>"Synris. Just stop. He's not going to do anything. At this point you're the only real threat to us so just stop." I looked up at him, annoyed more than anything.</p><p>"I'm not a threat, that's my babe!" Synris growled.</p><p>"Your babe? Maybe you should've thought about that when you found out I was having him!" I hissed back, "Now stop growling at me. Only threats growl."</p><p>He went silent for a moment before speaking softly, "Ayrice..."</p><p>"Do not even start with me. You had your chance. I could get over injuries to me, but I won't chance you injuring MY babe. You had your chance and you threw it out. You should've thought things through better before you decided you'd beat me for having the babe you put in me. And you should've thought a lot more on how you were going to treat me because I am not your toy, and neither is my son. So just stop and let me take care of MY son." I snarled at him.</p><p>He looked hurt before he turned and dove under the water without saying anything in response. The diver just looked between the water and my babe, woken by the growling, looked like he couldn't care less before he closed his eyes and fell asleep again.</p><p>The diver left not much later, and I laid beside my babe, thinking of what I might name him. Traditionally, fathers named their sons while mothers named their daughters...but we weren't in the ocean and things weren't traditional in this situation to begin with.</p><p>I never really thought I'd have a child, so I'd never really considered names, even as I was pregnant. I didn't know what to name him, but he needed a name because calling him 'child' was just rude.</p><p>I sighed and thought for a good while. I was stuck here so I suppose......I finally moved to the edge of the kelp nest and stuck my head under the water to call for Synris. I called twice and moved back beside my sleeping babe.</p><p>It was a few minutes before I saw Synris come up to the edge of the nest, looking nervous and confused.</p><p>I glared at him for several long minutes before growling and finally talking, "Last. Chance."</p><p>"Alright." He nodded, agreeing easily and with eyes full of hope.</p><p>"Help me name him..." I sighed and looked back at the babe, sleeping beside me.</p><p>Synris was clearly shocked with me and was silent for several minutes. I was shocked with myself too.</p><p>"Well, ideas at least?" I asked, wanting him to hurry up before I changed my mind again.</p><p>"Oh, umm......Azalyss?" He offered quietly.</p><p>"That's a royal name..." I shook my head.</p><p>"He's a royal. Besides, I want to put the old laws behind us...I want to be better..." Synris mumbled.</p><p>I was quiet for a moment before nodding, "Azalyss it is..."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. This is stupid</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Synris and Azalyss got along well, a fact I found to be reassuring. Again, Synris was kind to me and now our child and he never stopped trying to do everything he could to make up for what he did to me before Azalyss. Besides, I was happy to see Azalyss have someone to play with as he got bigger.</p><p>He was growing fast, and I just couldn't keep up. It was embarrassing, I wasn't able to play with my babe for very long before I needed a break. Synris was sure that it was because the pregnancy had weakened me and I hadn't recovered properly or I wasn't meant to recover, at least that was what he always told me when I expressed my feelings of shame. But regardless, his efforts did little to make me feel better and I still felt guilty when I couldn't play for very long.</p><p>Neither of them gave me time to mope though. Azalyss was highly intelligent and quick. He'd stop even in the middle of a game of tag with Synris the very moment he noticed I wasn't smiling. Synris would catch him then and they'd both sit with me and tease each other or me until I laughed. One day something similar happened.</p><p>The humans had just left but I didn't want to leave the sand. Azalyss came down to me first.</p><p>"Momma, get up. Let's play, come on!" He pressed his head to my back, wanting me to at least shift.</p><p>"Play with your father, he can at least keep up," I mumbled.</p><p>"I want to play with you," Azalyss insisted stubbornly.</p><p>"Fine, let's play hide and seek," I opted.</p><p>"Then you be the hider, momma," he sat beside me.</p><p>"No no, I'll be the seeker."</p><p>"No because then you won't move, and I'll be hiding for hours for no reason. Momma you got to get up, laying around like this is bad for you," He puffed. He knew that trick too well apparently.</p><p>I sighed and sat up. "Get me a brush."</p><p>Azalyss smiled and went to find his hairbrush, the strange one the human had gifted me. Playing actual games didn't last long so most times now I would just brush hair and sing or talk with him. Synris came and settled beside me as Azalyss came back and gave me his brush.</p><p>But instead of sitting so I could do his hair he threw himself into my arms and hugged me. Synris copied him and wrapped his arms around us both.</p><p>I smiled a bit and shrugged Synris off.</p><p>"Your turn is next, let me do his hair," I poked his chest with the brush before he just took it from me.</p><p>"No, I think we should do your hair," Synris smiled at Azalyss.</p><p>"Oh! Yeah!! Momma, please? I want to brush momma's hair," Azalyss looked up at me with pleading eyes.</p><p>I sighed, "Fine......" I mumbled my answer. There was no point in trying to argue either of them, I was as good as done for if they both teamed up.</p><p>Both started laughing as Azalyss moved to snuggle behind me with Synris. Naturally, I worried. These two were clearly plotting.</p><p>"What are you two planning on doing?" I started to turn to look at them but Synris stopped me.</p><p>"Ayrice, you said we could do your hair, now sit still," he was chuckling.</p><p>Uneasily I did as he said and let Azalyss brush out my hair. They were up to something. I just knew it.</p><p>Since being here I hadn't been able to cut it. Synris, who had always had long hair, had really long hair now. His was so long now it passed the tip of his tail fin. Mine was down to my dorsal fin... or what had used to be my dorsal fin.</p><p>I guess I was still stuck in old traditions, but I felt weird with hair so long. In the oceans only royal families usually had their hair long, it was supposed to be a sign of rank. I also still didn't like looking so feminine. Again, nothing against maidens but I was not one and didn't enjoy recalling the years I was bullied for looking like a maiden.</p><p>We couldn't cut Azalyss' hair either. Synris though loved letting Azalyss grow his hair out. I didn't mind but again I felt odd.</p><p>Azalyss and I aren't royals like Synris. In the ocean we'd be the story of the eclipse. I'd be no more than Synris' mistress and Azalyss would be the illegitimate slug babe. According to the sea's laws, one of us would be killed. Likely me, the one at fault of bearing the babe. It was not a fun thought. I tried not to dwell on it.</p><p>Here was different though... thinking about all of this made me wonder about how Salo and Zephic were doing. Since I rarely went up to the clear wall, I hadn't seen them in a while. I couldn't dwell on that long either as Azalyss finished brushing my hair, but he was giggling.</p><p>"What are you two doing?" I tried to move and look again but once more I was stopped.</p><p>"No, momma, stay still!" Azalyss giggled.</p><p>I sighed but smiled, trying to look over my shoulder anyway because I knew these two were doing something.</p><p>"This is stupid. Just tell me what you're doing," I tried to turn again but Azalyss came and sat in my lap to stop me.</p><p>"No. Momma hold still or we'll have to start again," he held onto me, arms around my neck to make turning harder.</p><p>I snorted, now aware that it was Synris doing something with my hair. I was reassured but also twice as worried.</p><p>"Yeah, momma, don't make us start over," Synris agreed with Azalyss.</p><p>That brought a blush to my face. On occasion, if Synris thought I was comfortable, he would tease and call me momma like Azalyss. Of course, he meant in a much different way. We still hadn't done anything like that since well before Azalyss was born but that didn't mean he didn't occasionally try to go for it. Maybe he just liked teasing me.</p><p>I sat quietly then, blushing as I held Azalyss who was happy to lay on me.</p><p>He had quite a mix personality-wise. Although he had been born with the humans around, he only liked one. That one was the human male who had been so kind to me while I carried Azalyss. The others he stayed away from, taking after my shyness. He didn't challenge Synris often either. Only twice had he spoken out against Synris. Similar again to my personality, I really didn't speak out against him unless I was really, really uncomfortable. And as you know he doesn't always listen.</p><p>He did, thankfully listen to Azalyss. The two times had only been he'd been playing too roughly. He taught Azalyss to wrestle and had hit him too hard and he'd tried brushing Azalyss' hair and pulled too hard. He eased up and took a break as soon as Azalyss said something in their wrestling match and gave the brush to me as soon as Azalyss spoke up when he'd been brushing his hair.</p><p>Azalyss also had my coloring. His skin was tanner like mine and his scales were sandy.</p><p>But he shared traits with Synris as well.</p><p>He was as stubborn as the abyss. If he wanted something, by the Lords of all life he was going to get it. He loved physical contact as well. The boy couldn't go an hour without cuddling up to one of us.</p><p>Between the two of them there was no escape. I honestly didn't mind cuddling that much anymore. Sometimes I didn't feel like it but most times I didn't mind now, used to it.</p><p>Azalyss also liked being up and moving. He hated sitting still unless he was cuddling or sleeping and always wanted to be moving. Synris was his friend then. I couldn't keep up with them.</p><p>And then he had Synris' pale, cloudy eyes and long fins. Honestly if he had just gotten Synris' scale colors they would look alike. Although Azalyss was a bit more on the feminine side, that was only because he was a child still.</p><p>"Can you please tell me what you're doing?" I asked, trying again to turn.</p><p>"Momma!" Azalyss pulled my shoulders forward. He wasn't going to let me know either.</p><p>"Sorry, sorry. I just would like to know what is being done to my hair."</p><p>"There!" Synris finally spoke up as he gently laid his head on my shoulder.</p><p>Honestly, even now, he really did almost look like a god from the abyss. His long, white hair floated gracefully in the water and never seemed to knot up, his fins complimented his body shape and let him exude an aura of grace. It was so unfair.</p><p>"What did you do?" I pulled my hair over my other shoulder to look.</p><p>I was surprised. Somehow, Synris had braided kelp and colored stone into it. I felt the top of my head and ran my hand over my hair all the way to the tips I had pulled over my shoulder. Somehow, he'd braided it in small braids all the way from the roots to the tips and then put it all in one big braid.</p><p>I smiled at them both and shook my head, "Thanks..."</p><p>Synris smiled and moved away as Azalyss threw himself on me again.</p><p>"Momma likes his hair!" He started singing as I laughed.</p><p>I had to admit, I did like my hair at that moment and they were both pretty cute.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Strange</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Azalyss grew faster than I expected. Synris said it was a healthy rate though. He was an incredibly quick learner as well. He was maybe half a year, honestly, it's hard to tell in here, and he already knew our language and some of the human's language, enough to get by anyway. He was really sweet too. If either Synris or I needed it, he'd translate for us and he'd never part with us. He insisted on staying by one of us at all times.</p><p>"Momma, I'm hungry..." He threw himself in my lap.</p><p>"Synris will share the snacks in his box," I answered him. Synris was really good about sharing, putting Azalyss first.</p><p>"I ate it all," Azalyss groaned.</p><p>I looked around, not sure what to do since I couldn't exactly kill the fish here for him. For once I was grateful when the humans showed up, finally they chose a good time.</p><p>"There, go ask a human" I nodded and pushed his side to get him moving.</p><p>Since Alazyss' birth the one diver continued to check on us. He was the only one I welcomed and the only one that seemed unafraid to play with Azalyss. For some reason, the others were scared to play with him but this one wasn't.</p><p>Azalyss also gave, or told us his name was Jackie. Jackie was really the only one that Azalyss liked but at least the others were being tolerated.</p><p>The weird thing though is that Jackie has been showing up more and more lately. He'd even come when it wasn't feeding time. But now was feeding time so I didn't dwell on it.</p><p>I should have paid more attention then.</p><p>Azalyss unhappily swam over to Jackie and explained his problem in the human tongue. Jackie seemed to understand and fed him while his diving partner fed the fish. Azalyss was apparently really hungry though as he ended up eating both mine and Synris' share.</p><p>"Hmm, growth spurt again?" Synris had settled beside me while I was watching our son.</p><p>"Must be. Are you sure growing at that rate is normal?" I was worried. I don't recall ever having grown that fast and Synris I'm sure didn't either. It was unnatural.</p><p>"Yes, Ayrice. I promise, just trust me," he laid his head on my shoulder.</p><p>"...Alright," I mumbled back, tolerating his touchiness.</p><p>"Don't get me wrong, I love the little thing, but I wish we could get some alone time..." Synris sighed.</p><p>"I'll pass on that. And don't even ask, you know why." I shrugged him off and gave him a look.</p><p>"Hey, hey, quit churning the water. I'm not pushing anything," he moved back a bit and laid his hands palms up in the sand.</p><p>I didn't answer as I looked back to Azalyss. The one diver had left, no doubt to bring more food, while Jackie stayed. He was playing with Azalyss, some weird hand game again.</p><p>Synris really didn't like Jackie. I didn't know why, Azalyss and I both liked him but Synris couldn't stand him. So, I wasn't surprised to hear Synris growling beside me when he saw Azalyss playing with him.</p><p>"Hush, will you? Jackie won't do anything," I pushed his nose with my finger, wishing he would just stuff it.</p><p>"He could. The divers have taken you before, what if he takes our son? What will you say then?" Synris had his eyes locked on the two as he moved closer to me again.</p><p>"Jackie wouldn't take him to hurt him. Jackie's a good human." I answered decidedly.</p><p>"Yeah, until he proves he isn't," Synris snorted.</p><p>I sighed, at least Synris wanted to protect Azalyss. Honestly, it was reassuring. As far as I knew Synris really did care about Azalyss. He was careful and tried his best to keep from getting rough with him, he would double check with me if he wasn't sure about what to do and he tried to help take care of Azalyss whenever he could. It made me happy to think he really did care about our son at the least. But it was annoying that he couldn't trust the one human I did, especially as he accused the human of being a blowhole like he was himself.</p><p>"Come on, you're about to make the water boil. It's not like he can do anything quickly," I put my hand on Synris' chest reassuringly, trying to calm him before this turned into something it didn't need to be.</p><p>He had moved to hover over me protectively as he stared down Jackie's side.</p><p>"He's lucky he hasn't given me proof yet," Synris snorted again and just laid on me.</p><p>"H-hey!" I tried to push him off as he laid across my tail.</p><p>He jumped in response and moved to push me down and lay on my chest.</p><p>"Synris come on!" I hit the top of his head, not enjoying this situation at all. It felt too similar to old places, I wasn't ready for that.</p><p>"I am on, quite literally on you in fact," he smiled.</p><p>"Get off then!"</p><p>"Why? You're warm."</p><p>"You're heavy and uncomfortable!"</p><p>"You calling me a manatee now?"</p><p>"Yes! now get off."</p><p>"Just for that I'm calling Azalyss," Synris huffed and turned his head, "Azalyss!!! Babe!! Azzzzaaaalllllyyyysss!!!" He sang practically, summoning our son to team up on me. Stupid slug.</p><p>Azalyss came immediately, "Yeah?"</p><p>"Lay on momma with me," he laughed and Azalyss giggled too.</p><p>"No don't. Ignore him- no!!" I huffed as Azalyss laid on Synris' back.</p><p>They laughed as I glared. Jackie was watching but I couldn't see his expression. Human body language was pretty hard to read too but something about him made me uneasy. I couldn't figure out why.</p><p>My thoughts were torn away from him though when Synris hummed softly in my ear. My attention was back on him as his finger slid over my gills. I screeched but it did nothing to prevent Synris from tickling me. He was truly evil.</p><p>Azalyss sat on his back and laughed at me as I screeched and laughed and tried to get away, but they had me pinned. Synris kept tickling me. I was laughing so hard I barely noticed Azalyss leave us.</p><p>When Synris finally stopped though he leaned over me and pressed his lips to mine. This wasn't the first time since before Azalyss was born he had tried going farther than a hug...but I was in a good mood now.</p><p>I smiled and kissed back, relaxing a little as I let him have his way for a bit. He didn't do anything besides kiss me and rub my sides, he was being gentle too. When he moved away, he smiled briefly then turned and looked for Azalyss; apparently, he knew he'd left.</p><p>His smile only grew when he saw Azalyss eating food from the other diver. But I noticed Jackie again, watching me from near the other diver. Again, I couldn't see his expression, but something gave me the feeling that he was really displeased.</p><p>I shrugged it off and blamed Synris for making me paranoid. I should have listened.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Doubts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jackie, the diver, was actually starting to creep me out. Well I wasn't creeped out, but I was a little concerned and starting to consider that Synris may be right about him.</p><p>He was still nice, always that never changed...but something about him just seemed off. I still couldn't place what it was.</p><p>"Mmmmhhhhhhhh momma, I ate all the food again," Azalyss was splayed across my lap.</p><p>"Well there's not much I can do...did you ask Synris?" I questioned, assuming he was still hungry.</p><p>The divers didn't take long to understand that Azalyss ate a lot of food. Like a whale's worth. They got him a new and much larger snack box to access throughout the day, but they let Synris keep his as well.</p><p>"Nah, I'm full," he giggled.</p><p>I sighed and ran my fingers through his hair, "Now if you'd be almost full when the divers come..."</p><p>"'m sorry momma," he mumbled.</p><p>Like I said, he ate a lot. Unlike Synris though, Azalyss was not picky in the slightest. The boy would eat anything, fish or plants it didn't matter. That meant he'd often end up eating what the divers brought for me.</p><p>"It's alright... but if you're that hungry you need to say something to them..." I rubbed his back gently.</p><p>Honestly, I didn't care much that Azalyss was eating half my meal but Synris tied his tail up over it since I was dropping weight again. I appreciated the concern but disliked that he was starting to make my babe feel guilty over it when it really wasn't that big of a deal.</p><p>"Momma I want to play," Azalyss mumbled as he sat up in the sand.</p><p>"Well...umm teach me one of the games Jackie plays with you..." I still couldn't keep up when it came to games like tag or race.</p><p>I smiled though, deciding to save mentally berating myself for later and instead to focus on playing with Azalyss now. I could at least try the less physically demanding games.</p><p>"Yeah okay!!" He laughed and started going through the steps for a hand game.</p><p>It was when I'd just gotten the hang of it that Jackie himself decided to pop in. Of course, Synris wasn't much more than a minute later to come settle by my side. As soon as Synris showed up though I got the weird feeling that Jackie was upset again.</p><p>I shrugged it off and smiled, thinking it was probably because Synris always growled at him and he was just wary. It wasn't feeding time, so he must've just wanted to visit.</p><p>"Wrong time, human, get lost," Synris growled.</p><p>"Hey, maybe he just wants to play with Azalyss. They're friends, it's fine," I pushed Synris back a bit, more or less trying to keep myself between him and Azalyss. I wasn't going to let him hurt my babe, accident or not.</p><p>Azalyss still didn't understand why Synris always got upset with Jackie. Neither of us did actually.</p><p>"Papa..." He started to ask but the look he got from Synris silenced him quickly.</p><p>"Hey. Knock it off Synris. Don't start this with him," I turned faster than I thought possible, growling in warning at him.</p><p>Jackie stopped some ways away and was watching us silently as Synris huffed.</p><p>"Start what? I haven't done anything," he rolled his eyes and before I could stop him, he jumped on Azalyss.</p><p>Azalyss squeaked as Synris rolled in the sand with him, refusing to let him go from the hug he'd been wrapped in. I relaxed as I heard them both laughing. As long as Synris was nice to my babe it was fine.</p><p>I looked up to Jackie and smiled but he wasn't watching me. His gaze, at least as far as I could tell, was trained on Azalyss. I shrugged it off and swam up to him, pulling lightly in his arm for his attention. He had wanted to visit so I would visit him.</p><p>When he turned to look at me, I could only see his eyes, but they gave me the sense that he was smiling. It was strange as I still got that really weird feeling of displeasure from him. I shrugged it off again and held my hands out to him. I wanted to see if I could successfully play that hand game. Azalyss spiked my curiosity with it and now it was bugging me. Jackie didn't seem to understand for a little bit but then he reached his hands out and took mine.</p><p>"No, the hand game. I want to play it," I tried telling him as I pulled my hands away.</p><p>He didn't understand me though. When I held my hands out again, this time trying to motion the game, he grabbed my wrist. When I tried to pull away this time though he wouldn't let go. I was more confused than worried, until he started pulling me at least. Then I was worried and wanted him to let go. In my panic I struck him with my tail.</p><p>I think I hit him harder than I meant too. He let go immediately as he let out a muffled cry. Synris heard and was at my side in an instant, pulling me away. Jackie seemed to struggle to move as he tried to swim up and away.</p><p>"What was that?" Synris growled.</p><p>"I-i don't know. He tried to pull me, so I hit him. I didn't mean to hurt him," At this point I wasn't sure who was scaring me more, the quickly retreating Jackie or the growling Synris.</p><p>"Papa..." Azalyss started but Synris turned on him before he could finish.</p><p>"Hush," He didn't growl at least as he pulled Azalyss into the sand.</p><p>We sat at the bottom of our watery cage for a while, Synris just holding me and using his free hand to brush Azalyss' hair.</p><p>"Ayrice..........what happened?" Synris finally mumbled into my ear, rubbing my back gently as he shifted to wrap his tail around Azalyss and pull him closer.</p><p>I explained and nearly started whimpering, convinced I'd hurt Jackie. Synris was nice though, doing his best to calm and reassure me while keeping Azalyss quiet besides us.</p><p>When the divers came to feed us, they all seemed wary and didn't seem to want to get that close to me. Which was fine because Synris wasn't letting them close to Azalyss or me anyway. It was a little confusing though, they normally wanted to try and coax me over to them since I normally stayed away and played shy. But I got the feeling that they no longer liked me.</p><p>Also, instead of two divers there were four, and Jackie wasn't with them. Synris seemed to get the same off feeling as me. Again, the situation just gave me a bad feeling. I was worried again, and guilty.</p><p>"Something is wrong, Ayrice..." He mumbled as he laid beside me, long after Azalyss fell asleep that night.</p><p>"I know......I'm sorry for not listening about Jackie..."</p><p>"It's fine, already past anyway."</p><p>"You don't think they'll mess with Azalyss do you?" I asked looking at him.</p><p>"No, I won't let them. Don't worry, I promise I'll protect our babe," He smiled, so sure of himself. It was hard not to believe him when he was so confident.</p><p>I nodded and smiled myself as he moved to kiss me. It was a gentle, reassuring kiss, a kiss I actually wanted, if not needed.</p><p>He pulled away only to move to the other side of Azalyss. Synris smiled and reached over him to tug at my arm. I smiled back and moved closer to Azalyss, the two of us wrapping him in our tails and snuggling up on both sides of him for the night.</p><p>I think a part of me knew then, but I dreamed of warm sand and happiness in the tropics instead of worrying. I trusted Synris again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Screaming Fails</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I feel I was destined to be damned and drowned.</p><p>My life in the sea honestly wasn't great. Sure, technically I held a court position as the future king's servant but really? I was a servant. My entire life. Synris was nice enough, sure. But merfolk, my people, are physical people and social, things I wasn't. So, add up unsocial, awkward, and an unsupportive and neglectful family and you would have the deep, dark self-drowning mess that was me.</p><p>Best thing that happened to me? My son and only babe, Azalyss.</p><p>Yes, I asked how he ended up with a royal name too. His father, Synris, picked it, not me. Thankfully, Synris adores him and insists even now that he loves both our babe and me.</p><p>For a little while, the watery cage didn't seem all that bad. Maybe I could've gotten used to it, maybe I already had. Besides, my babe would be safe at least right? That's all that mattered.</p><p>Well how about no? It seems that's not what the gods of the abyss had planned for me.</p><p>After I struck Jackie, I honestly should've known something was wrong when the other divers came to feed us. I should have known before that even. They acted so strangely. Of course, I didn't figure it out until too late. That night, just after Synris and I laid beside Azalyss, several divers came and tore me away.</p><p>I had no clue why or what was happening. Honestly, all that registered in my mind was Azalyss crying for me. Now I know Synris kept his promise to me. He couldn't get me away from the divers and keep them away from Azalyss. I'm happy, actually happy strangely, to say he chose Azalyss, that he kept his final promise to me.</p><p>They took Ayrice from us. It was all I could do to keep them away from Azalyss. Maybe ten or more came and just tore Ayrice away from me. But it was Ayrice or Azalyss.</p><p>I sighed as I held Azalyss. He hadn't stopped whimpering and honestly, I wanted to do the same myself, but I knew I couldn't, not in front of him.</p><p>"Hush, it'll be all right. Momma will be back," I rocked him gently, trying my best to calm him. I needed to take care of him.</p><p>"When!?" Azalyss looked at me, for a moment daring to be hopeful.</p><p>"...I don't know," I mumbled.</p><p>I swear I saw his heart break in his eyes. He buried his face in my chest again and shook silently for a while. I felt like a failure as a father already. I had let them both down, the only two good things in my life.</p><p>Honestly, I felt his scream building in his chest, but when he actually let it out, I was surprised I still had my hearing. I don't think I would have been able to handle hearing such a sound if I hadn't been a siren myself.</p><p>Azalyss screamed so loud. It echoed in the water and I watched as the clear wall cracked above us. The same moment the fish stopped, the sound stunning and killing most. All from his scream. That was more power than even I had.</p><p>There was nothing I could do though, so I sat there and rocked him, rubbing his back as he went back to whimpering and screeching his grief at the situation loudly.</p><p>I had messed up a lot with Ayrice. A lot. The truth was I had loved him from the very first time I met him. He had been so cute and young; I had wanted nothing more than his attention. He had never wanted to give it to me though, and I had spent years trying to tease him and coax him to my side. Then I really messed up. I forced him to pay attention to me. I wasn't good to him like I should have been. I couldn't even keep him safe.</p><p>But I refused to do that with Azalyss. That's why I never let go of him, not even as I watched the human panic outside the clear wall, or as they freaked with all the dead fish. I wouldn't mess up again. I would keep our babe safe. I would do this one thing right if nothing else.</p><p>Maybe some of it was just being numb. I was numb. The only thing I had to cling to was Azalyss. I knew something was wrong, very wrong, but I couldn't care. I didn't feel anything, just empty without Ayrice. There was nothing that could make it any worse.</p><p>But Azalyss. He needed me. I promised Ayrice I wouldn't let anything happen to him and I was keeping that promise. If I broke every other promise I've made or will make, this one would be the one I keep. Our son, my babe, would be alright even if it meant I wasn't. I promised Ayrice and I was not messing up again.</p><p>So, I held him, refusing to let go. Just like I did when I saw I couldn't get to Ayrice and keep Azalyss safe at the same time.</p><p>It killed me to see they'd already separated us and that I couldn't get to him. But they were trying to take Azalyss too. I knew Ayrice would kill me and would rather die than know I'd let the divers take our son just to save him. Just like I know I'd feel the same way if roles had been reversed.</p><p>It felt like no time at all before the divers came back though. They were afraid to get close to Azalyss and I this time at least.</p><p>Every time they came near us, I growled and bared my fangs, pulling Azalyss closer. It kept the divers at bay for a while, but one finally was dumb enough to actually come close. He was too far away to bite still so I struck him with my tail. His six other human companions freaked when he didn't move right away.</p><p>I didn't kill him. They saw that on the way to the surface with him. He was just stunned and likely in shock. Apparently, that wasn't enough to keep them all away.</p><p>More came back but this time they used a trick to keep their distance. A net. I still refused to let go of Azalyss as he cried in fear now. It wasn't fun and of course it was a mess as I tried to get us both out of the net but couldn't. The humans dragged us up to the surface and out of the watery cage.</p><p>I knew how futile it was to struggle like I was, but I couldn't give up, not when Azalyss was at risk as well. I had to keep him safe. This was my babe. I had promised Ayrice. My mate. I couldn't mess up again.</p><p>But an idea came to me then, "Azalyss. Babe, Azalyss listen to me. Stop crying and be quiet. Come on I need your help."</p><p>"How is not crying going to help!? Nothing will help!!" He was clinging impossibly tight to me, scared. I didn't blame him. Truth was I had been scared too.</p><p>"Hush, babe. It will. Hush, hush. I need you to calm down so you can help me please. Come on Azalyss, I need you to help me," I pleaded with him. It was a long shot, but it was our best chance.</p><p>He managed to calm himself, so he was just sniffling.</p><p>"There we go. Good. Alright, I need your help, it's important. Listen to the humans, what are they saying?" I asked.</p><p>"How is this going to help!!?" He started crying again.</p><p>"No, no, Azalyss knock it off. Trust me it will just stop crying and tell me what's being said." I growled without meaning too.</p><p>It worked though, he quieted and started listening to them. I felt bad for scaring him too, but this was our chance. Our only chance and I couldn't let it go. We were out of the cage and I could see the sky. For a moment I wondered how long it had been since last I saw it. I felt bad that the first time Azalyss saw it was tainted with such fear, but maybe... Just maybe one day he would see it like I did, and I could tell him the stories my parents used to tell me about it, that I had told to Ayrice long ago too.</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Great Escape</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He listened and repeated what they said.</p><p>"Moving... Aquariums?.... transport tanks....cross bridge ocean something... Too many are talking!!" Azalyss whined and started whimpering in my chest again.</p><p>I had heard all I needed though. The rest of what I needed was in what I was seeing.</p><p>Tanks, the watery cages, were all around. Small ones that wouldn't be comfortable but still cages. We were placed in one, the net taken off and the top closed as we shifted to get more comfortable; as comfortable as we could anyway.</p><p>"Alright.... I think this may work or may go horribly wrong..." I sighed as I watched the humans around us.</p><p>Azalyss looked at me, concerned. I was too but I couldn't see any other option. If I was right, and I didn't want to be, the humans were trying to move us to another place with cages like what Azalyss had broken. Such a place was bad for us. So, my half-drowned plan to get to the ocean again was what we were going for.</p><p>I figured out that the clear wall being cracked was bad. Very bad if they wanted to keep us in the cages. But it was good, very good, if we wanted out.</p><p>Trouble was if we had nowhere to go after we broke it, we were damned to abyss. Also, I couldn't scream at a high enough pitch to break the clear walls. Azalyss could though, and I had just seen the ocean.</p><p>I watched the humans as the few fish that survived Azalyss' scream were loaded onto a very weird looking thing... I don't even know how to describe such a thing...</p><p>But I noticed, not far past it, the color of the sky and ocean. I saw the human level green, but I could see where merfolk level blue met the sky and the green of the land. I saw the ocean. We had a chance after all.</p><p>I got a good look farther out as the humans lifted our cage and put inside the weird lifted box thing. It was metal surely and was suspended by four circular things. It got dark quickly as the doors to it shut. Something beneath us growled, scaring Azalyss but I ignored it, quickly realizing it wasn't a growl. Whatever this was it wasn't alive. Living things don't make noises like that.</p><p>Then we started moving, only we weren't moving. That was what scared me. I couldn't show it though, not to Azalyss.</p><p>"Papa!!" Azalyss was terrified.</p><p>"I'm right here, right here babe," I held him. "Babe, hey... I need your help again; can you help me? It'll be really easy..."</p><p>"Papa I'm scared!" He was crying, crying hard. I wanted to cry with him, but I couldn't, not yet.</p><p>"I know... but think about momma. I bet he's scared, and alone..." I needed him to scream.</p><p>"Stop! No! Momma's okay!!"</p><p>"What if he isn't?" I asked.</p><p>He went quiet, crying silently again. Once more I felt his scream build in his chest.</p><p>I felt bad for saying those things and I was afraid they'd be true as well, but I needed him to scream. And he did. I would apologize later and explain then why, but his scream was the first step.</p><p>The clear wall completely shattered as water flooded everything. I pulled him with me as quickly as I could, cutting my tail up pretty badly in the sharp pieces of the clear wall as we tumbled out with it.</p><p>The back with the doors was blocked somehow but I had enough in me to break through one side. It hurt to do so, but at the time I barely felt it. There were more of the weird moving things some ways behind us, but I couldn't worry about those as I moved Azalyss to my back to carry him. I saw the sea just off the black land.</p><p>I was scared, undeniably so, but it was now or never with Azalyss and the thing we were in was slowing and moving sideways. I jumped as best I could. It hurt and burned to land on the black land, but I barely felt it.</p><p>The moving things behind the one I had jumped from stopped and swerved, making awful noises, and releasing horrid smells. I dragged myself over to the small gray wall and jumped again though.</p><p>Azalyss screamed again, scared as he held onto me. But we made it. The water was cold and fresh and natural as it washed over us.</p><p>We made it back to the sea. The cold ocean water was a relief to my burns even as the salt stung them and my cuts.</p><p>"Swim. Azalyss SWIM!!!" I screamed this time, holding him on my back as I took off. We couldn't waste time. We needed to get away.</p><p>He was trying to swim with me but mostly it was just me carrying him. I hope that somehow and some way Ayrice was alright but Azalyss was the one I had to take care of.</p><p>I realized I couldn't go back home with Azalyss. I doubted they'd do anything to him; I mean it's common that illegitimate children are around, but they don't have it easy. He'd be scorned and forbidden from the palace. I'm sure he'd quickly be taken in by a family, but foster care wasn't always good...</p><p>We'd figure this out later. First, we needed to get as far from the humans as possible, even if it meant leaving Ayrice...</p><p>I didn't slow until over half-way through the day. I was tired and Azalyss was too, but we couldn't stop. It was hard but I swam until I collapsed from exhaustion. We simply couldn't afford to stop.</p><p>I was only out for half a day when I finally blacked out, despite having swam for three days straight. Azalyss never left my side and was starving. I was pretty hungry too, but my tail was still cut and burned with my hands.</p><p>I had to get the pieces of clear wall out first. Those hurt. Each time I pulled one of the six pieces out I ended up cutting my hands too. Azalyss only whimpered the more he saw blood. Finally, I got them out and managed to get the bleeding to stop with some drifting kelp I was fortunate enough to find.</p><p>I did the best I could to feed us on the open ocean surface level. I couldn't dive as far as I wanted to for fear of my own kind. Unfortunately, the surface level made it so we stood out. Great for attracting sharks, bad for hunting fish.</p><p>Both of us lost a lot of weight, me more so. But we were surviving and moving. I resorted to eating more plants when we found them. I refused to stay in one spot for longer than I had to though, not until I was sure we would be safe. It was months before I found a place for us.</p><p>A small and ultimately forgotten island. It was large enough to sustain a village of humans, which it was doing, but small enough to not be cared about by outside humans. As far as I could tell this island was entirely forgotten by the rest of the world. Isolated. The waters were too shallow for mers to consider as well.</p><p>It had two divine lagoons and miles and miles of coral reefs around it. There were so many fish and few sharks. And plenty of plants for Ayrice...</p><p>Ayrice. I knew then I'd never see him again. Azalyss I think knew too but, we didn't say anything about it.</p><p>Azalyss ate plants and fish so this place would work. It was a little on the cold side but overall, it'd work... I'd make it work. It would work. I think Ayrice would have liked it too. He whispered, only once in his sleep, of shallow waters around an island.</p><p>"Papa, what about the humans?" Azalyss was sitting at the edge of one of the lagoons, watching from under the water a few of the small human babes.</p><p>"I think we'll be fine. Look, they have babes. Daughters and sons. They'll see us and know I have a babe, you're my babe. They'll know I'm just doing what they're doing," I nodded.</p><p>I had a feeling this place would be perfect even with the humans. These ones I knew wouldn't hurt us because they would see a family in the water, like we saw families on the land.</p><p>"Which is?" Azalyss asked me.</p><p>I smiled, "Trying my best to be a good parent."</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Epilogue</h2></a>
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    <p>Many truths turn out to be sad. The truth of my story is it ended, very quickly, after I was torn away from my mate and babe.</p><p>However, there were still many happy truths to follow.</p><p>Azalyss got to live freely in the shallows around a beautiful island with good humans that knew there was enough food to share and so never worried about the mers in their waters. He got to learn how to hunt, how to build nests, brushes, how to tend his own wounds and how to enjoy life. He never met his own people, other mers, but he got to learn their history and hear their stories from Synris.</p><p>Synris was ultimately a wonderful father. Although Azalyss never had a mother like I had wanted, he got a good father and that was enough.</p><p>Synris loved his son and was endlessly proud of him. He taught the younger everything he knew and then learned from him as all fathers eventually learn from their children. He did however forget to teach Azalyss that eels were not good pets, and I will admit the look of horror when Azalyss brought the thing back to him was quite amusing.</p><p>The humans didn't bother them much. Once a girl gave Synris a crown of flowers from the island to wear. Another time a boy fell into the water from his father's boat. Azalyss had laughed that they didn't know how to swim at birth but even then, he was already carrying the boy back to the surface. He taught the boy to swim. Years later, Azalyss fell in love with that same boy's granddaughter.</p><p>They all lived happily around the island. Though sometimes they missed me, they were happy.</p><p>Zephic and Salo were careful to never have babes of their own. They simply didn't want any. Their cage, or tank, was expanded considerably later and they enjoyed the rest of their days playing together there. The humans there never gave them problems. Sometimes they worried about their friends and family but ultimately, they were happy and lived as they wanted.</p><p>As sad as it is, I never got to be a part of my only child's life outside the watery cage. I never saw the sky again and didn't get to be a mother for very long. I didn't get to help teach Azalyss anything of the real world, or to grow old with Synris in the sands of the lagoons around the beautiful island...</p><p>But I saw it all. I saw them learn, laugh, play, cry, survive and live together. I saw Synris keep his last promise to me. I saw Azalyss grow up. I saw them love each other and got to see them live happily in their private shallows.</p><p>For that, I was happy.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. A/N</h2></a>
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    <p>"First off, thank you. Thank you anyone who bothers to read this. Next, I apologize now for the super slow updates. If people read this I'll try and update faster, if not it comes when it comes. I hope at least one person enjoys and if anyone reads this and decides they like please please please just comment. You don't even need to say you like it just say hi for all I care. Really I just want to know that people are actually reading this. Thanks."</p><p>^^ my original first A/N.</p><p>Oh boys this story was a doozy! When I first wrote it, I was struggling with my mental health and tended to use writing as a creative vent. I wrote a story and wove it to cause pain like I felt because I had no other way to tell the world I was hurting. I never ever imagined this story would become so popular and I certainly didn't think so many people could tolerate the sloppy, unedited writing my angst-y 14/15 year old self pumped out. However, you all did and even stuck with me through the unpredictable updates. And then you kept reading it. And more of you came to read it. Even after I had all but abandoned my wattpad (where I originally posted this) you all kept finding this story. So thank you all. So many of you enjoyed the very sloppy original and I hope you and many more enjoy this less sloppy, hopefully more consistent version. I did not change the story, just cleaned it up for you to enjoy and grieve over.</p><p>I love you all but considering I make myself cry working on the last two chapter I hope your tears make this screen blurry~ MWAHHAHAHAHA</p><p>Annnd finally if any of ya'll are worried about my mental health, dont be! I'm still a work in progress but I'm slowly finding myself again and getting better. Thanks!</p><p>Love ya lots! Thanks for reading!</p>
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